Freak's Training Log

[genetic freak]

Continuing with the deload week. For me, deload doesn't mean going light. I still go heavy, but just one set to mechanical failure instead of multiple failures or forced reps.

Wide grip pull downs 230 lbs x 12 (I really need to invest in a gym pin. I can only go up to 230 lbs, because the stack stops at 200 lbs and I can wedge (2) 15 lbs dumbbells on top of the stack without damaging anything.)
Cybex rear delt fly 130 lbs x 14
TKO shrugs 225 lbs x 16
TKO isolateral rows 5 pps x 10 (I did these standing instead of seated and man they hit hard. I can usually get 13-14 clean reps when I am seated, but these wrecked me. You cannot brace as well and your erectors actually get worked.)
DC rows 80 lbs x 14 (I was pretty much dead at this point.)
Preacher hammer curls 35 lbs x 10 (Sure I could do 90 lbs standing and destroy my elbows, but doing them in the preacher with 35 lbs hits just as hard, if not harder.)
Cable side curls 40 lbs x 12

This took forever, despite being a deload. Someone brought in their bloodwork (I told them a couple weeks ago, I could go over it with them) and I ended up spending about 30 minutes talking with them between my sets.

 

[genetic freak]

Dumbbell RDLs 155 lbs x 10 (4 count eccentric)
Leg Press 10 pps x 16 (The machine doesn't hold anymore without stacking weights on top. My patella was screaming at 8 pps, but I told it to either tear or STFU, we are going to 10 pps.)
Seated Leg Curls 140 lbs x 11 (2 count hold and 4 count eccentric)
Seated Calf Raises 2 pps + 25's ps x 7 (Cramp!!! I was spending too much time squeezing at the top.)
Hip Thrust 7 pps + the heaviest blue band in the gym x 9 (I broke the machine! Good, because it sucks. We need a better one.)
GHB x 14

 

[genetic freak]

I have a couple gym buddies, but we do not train together. It is more of a spot and hype type of relationship. One of my buddies and I decided to do a little training together today and will again tomorrow. He is training for the World Strength Games and is looking to do some serious damage in some of the events, but needs help in others. We figured steel sharpens steel, so up until the games he and I would train a couple movements together a month to help him blast through some barriers.

Today was bench press. I haven't done a flat bench in forever. Probably, since 2021. I usually place a bumper plate under the foot of the bench to give me a slight decline to save the shoulders and to match the angle of the fibers of the pectoral muscles. I had no idea how I would perform. This is supposed to be deload week 2. Haha.

Nautilus Pec Dec 140 lbs x 8 (Left 2-3 RIR)
Hypertrophy Coach Laterals 30 lbs x 12 (Left 3-4 RIR)
Rope Extensions 120 lbs x 8 (Left 2-3 RIR. Still too much pump. My triceps were full as hell after this.)
Bench Press 365 lbs x 5 (We did a ton of warm up sets and my shoulder started to feel a bit wonky, so after 365 lbs, I moved to the Smith Machine and my buddy stayed with bench press.)
Smith Machine Bench Press 405 x 1, 425 x 1, 455 x .75 (My triceps were smoked and I couldn't lock it out, which is crazy, because triceps are my strongest point of my bench.)
Smith Machine Incline Reverse Grip Bench Press 225 lbs x 13 (I usually do 275 lbs for 8-10, so you can see how much my triceps were fried at this point.)
Barbell Front Raises 75 lbs x 11

 

[Dawgpound Hank]

Dumbbell RDLs 155 lbs x 10 (4 count eccentric)
Leg Press 10 pps x 16 (The machine doesn't hold anymore without stacking weights on top. My patella was screaming at 8 pps, but I told it to either tear or STFU, we are going to 10 pps.)
Seated Leg Curls 140 lbs x 11 (2 count hold and 4 count eccentric)
Seated Calf Raises 2 pps + 25's ps x 7 (Cramp!!! I was spending too much time squeezing at the top.)
Hip Thrust 7 pps + the heaviest blue band in the gym x 9 (I broke the machine! Good, because it sucks. We need a better one.)
GHB x 14

Those hip thrusts are insane! Only you dude haha.

 

[genetic freak]

Those hip thrusts are insane! Only you dude haha.

If they start a men's wellness division, I could be a top level competitor. Haha

 

[genetic freak]

Second day of training with my gym bro. Actually, it was gym bros. I was pleasantly surprised when I showed up that all the Strongman competitors were there to do some pulling. I have no idea how many pulls we did, but it was a lot.

Deadlifts 601 lbs x 1 (This went up so easy, I could have easily put on another 50 lbs. The guys were trying to get me to add another 25 kg plate to each side and give it a go, but I still needed to train. This was just for fun and it was only my second pulling session in a long time. The goal was 600 lbs and mission was accomplished.)
Lat rows 70 lbs x 15 (My lats were pretty much destroyed before I started. Haha)
Chest supported rear delt fly 20 lbs x 12
Cable hammer curl 40 lbs x 10
Cable bicep curl 140 lbs x 10 (I usually do single arms for cables, but I wanted to get these over quickly.)
Bent over dumbbell row 120 lbs x 8 (Both arms at the same time.)
DC rows 80 lbs x 10

I don't think I am training legs this week. I might go in for a little pump work, but no real training. I have labs on Tuesday next week and I am sick of hearing my PCM freak out when my creatinine and liver enzymes are high. If I stop taking creatine and don't train for the week, I am usually in the normal range.

 

[genetic freak]

Hack squat 2 pps x 100 (Like I said, no real leg training this week. LMAO! My legs were so pumped after this. I did 30 straight reps then started doing 10 reps followed by 5 deep breaths until I got to 50 then it was 10 reps and 10 deep breaths until I got to 100. I actually wasn't that hard. The set just took like 7 minutes.)
Seated leg curl 110 lbs x 17
Adductor 125 lbs x ? (I was talking to someone, so I am not sure how many I did, 16+)
Abudctor 200 lbs x ? (Same as above, but 20+)

 

[genetic freak]

Celebrating Thanksgiving with more Strongman training.

Log press 220 lbs x 3

We did probably 8 sets to get to the top set and this was my first time every doing the log press. I liked it a lot better with the neutral grip. Cleaning the log is easy as hell. I could do 300 lbs, no problem. Pressing takes some getting used to. The circumference of the log on your chest is not anything you can replicate in normal weight lifting. I also have to learn to explode and not control the log on the eccentric movement. I am wired to press like a bodybuilder who trains with really slow and controlled form. I had no leg drive and I was slowly lowering the log to my chest with each rep. I probably could have attempted 250 lbs for a single, but 220 lbs is heavy enough for me. I mean, the log outweighs me by 8 lbs. Everyone else I was pressing with weighs 265-295 lbs.

 

[genetic freak]

I forgot about yesterday's workout. My shoulder has been bothering me since, benching and log press last week. I did a ton of warming up, but it didn't do much.

Bench press 315 lbs x 13/225 lbs x 30 (I had every intention of going to 365 lbs, but my shoulder was having none of it. Shouldn't have even done 315 lbs.)
Reverse grip incline press 275 lbs x 3/225 lbs x 12 (Usually I hit 275 lbs for the same number of reps I did 225 lbs. Even on reverse grip, my shoulder said, fuck you.)
Rope front delt raise 100 lbs x 14
Tricep extensions 190 lbs x 14 (The stack only goes to 160 lbs, but I can add a couple of 15 lbs dumbbells to the top for extra weight. These are done with a full range of motion. Not that BS half pushdown where you lean over your hands.)
Incline cable fly 40 lbs x 11
Dusty Hanshaw lateral superset 25 lbs/50 lbs x 25/25

 

[genetic freak]

Neutral grip pull downs 230 lbs x 13 (That shoulder issue felt kind of weird today. On my last warm up of 200 lbs, it felt like the pec/bicep insertion was about to go. I said, fucking either blow out or shut the fuck up, we are going to 230 lbs. It felt fine at 230 lbs... strange.)
Rear delt fly on the seal row 25 lbs x 16 (If you have never done a rear delt fly on a seal row or elevated bench, I suggest giving it a try. It is funny, because 20 lbs feels like nothing then add 5 lbs and it is like, WTF.)
Upright dumbbell rows 40 lbs x 14 (I haven't done these in a while and felt it was a good time with the shoulder being a pain in the ass. Sometimes hitting my shoulder from different angles helps relieve some of the pain.)
Strict dumbbell rows 155 lbs x 12 (When I say strict, I mean my feet are not staggered. I place my feet shoulder width apart parallel to each other. You cannot cheat the dumbbell up with momentum, as you are very limited on torso twist.)
Hammer preacher curls 30 lbs x 12 (I got away from hammer curls due to suffering from elbow pain every time I did them. It didn't matter if it is was 60's, 70's, 80's or 85's, elbow pain. I moved to the preacher, lightened the load to save the elbow and get the same amount of work out of 30 lbs.)
Single arm cable curl 80 lbs x 12
DC rows 80 lbs x 18

 

[rawdeal]

I normally read-but-do-not-comment in your Log cause you get paid to train people and I do not, but, dammit, I like db rows, so, here goes:

Upright dumbbell rows 40 lbs x 14 (I haven't done these in a while and felt it was a good time with the shoulder being a pain in the ass. Sometimes hitting my shoulder from different angles helps relieve some of the pain.)

I have no advice on the shoulder/ass tie-in muscles. .

Strict dumbbell rows 155 lbs x 12 (When I say strict, I mean my feet are not staggered. I place my feet shoulder width apart parallel to each other. You cannot cheat the dumbbell up with momentum, as you are very limited on torso twist.) . . . .

When you cite "torso twist," I assume we're talking about 1 arm at a time? Isn't torso-twist a natural part of that, and if isolating target muscle is the goal, what do you think about employing "pre-exhaustion" by first eliminating the "twist" and then using it for a few reps to extend the set?

Too much theory and too little realism considering the whole workout?

 

[genetic freak]

I have no advice on the shoulder/ass tie-in muscles. .

When you cite "torso twist," I assume we're talking about 1 arm at a time? Isn't torso-twist a natural part of that, and if isolating target muscle is the goal, what do you think about employing "pre-exhaustion" by first eliminating the "twist" and then using it for a few reps to extend the set?

Too much theory and too little realism considering the whole workout?

Correct one arm at a time. I don't think I could do a bent over double row with the 155's for any reps that would be worth a crap. I can do the 120's for 8 good reps. Even that is heavy AF, considering I am barely over 200 lbs. Haha.

If I was trying to go strict until failure then allow some torso twist to cheat a few extra reps, I don't think I could do it with the 155's. When I am done with those giant ass dumbbells, I am done. I could start with a torso twist and get almost double the reps. At least I did when I was doing the 150's and allowing myself to twist for 24+ reps. The problem is my back is not the failure point when I do that, it is cardio. I just get fatigued, massive CNS overload. Then I have to wait like 5 minutes to do the other side.